The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Gourmandise arrived in 2011 as one of three debut fragrances from Maison des Reves, the Paris-based house founded that same year. The name itself is the concept: in French, Gourmandise means indulgence, desire, the sweet pleasure of wanting more. Perfumer Loredana Beschi built the composition around exactly this impulse, fruity sweetness, tropical warmth, and a vanilla-cinnamon base that lingers close to skin. It was a statement of intent from a new house, making an argument that comfort and artistry don't have to be opposites.
The note structure is straightforward but effective: coconut and blackberry at the top create immediate warmth, the floral heart of hibiscus, orchid, and ylang-ylang bridges toward the base without asserting itself too loudly, and then leather, cinnamon, and vanilla anchor everything in place. The interesting choice is that leather isn't a typical gourmand note, it grounds the sweetness in something unexpected, almost structural. The fragrance doesn't try to surprise you. It tries to stay.
The evolution
The opening is coconut and blackberry, arriving in quick succession. The blackberry brings a tartness that cuts through the creaminess, fruit with an edge. The coconut doesn't wait; it arrives simultaneously, warm and tropical. Within the first hour, the florals begin to transition. Hibiscus and orchid arrive gradually, not asserting themselves but softening the edges of the coconut. The ylang-ylang reinforces the tropical warmth without amplifying it. After three hours, the leather announces itself as the structural element, the thing that keeps the sweetness from floating away. Cinnamon joins it, warm and spicy. Vanilla and white musk settle into a close-to-skin warmth that doesn't demand attention. The coconut fades last, never fully disappearing, remaining as a subtle undercurrent. The drydown is warm, intimate, and surprisingly persistent, a second layer that doesn't argue.
Cultural impact
Maison des Reves operates in the niche segment where artistic expression typically takes precedence over mass-market appeal. Gourmandise occupies a specific space: sweet enough to satisfy gourmand cravings, grounded enough to avoid feeling juvenile. It's the kind of fragrance that works best when you're not trying to make a statement, when comfort is the point.
